christopher price

Bubble Watch: Ten players who are fighting for a job

FOXBORO -- Prior to the start of camp, we took a look at five guys who were on the hot seat when it came to making the 53-man roster. Just over a week into camp, we decided to expand the list and feature 10 guys who need a strong effort this preseason in their fight to stick around, whether it’s on the final 53-man roster or the practice squad. (For the record — this list isn’t for back-of-the-roster unknowns, but for legitimate roster candidates who might be considered as being “on the bubble” when cutdown day comes around.)

Jermaine Cunningham: The edge rusher out of Florida has drawn some positive reviews from time to time -- he unleashed a spin move on Matt Kopa last week that was one of the best individuals plays in camp -- but hasn’t really popped up on the radar screen all that much. In his defense, he impressed the coaches this offseason, as he was one of 10 players who were honored for their commitment to the offseason workout program. (In addition, Bill Belichick went out of his way to praise Cunningham prior to camp, saying he had a “great offseason” and that he’s “really worked hard.”) He faces some serious competition, as Rob Ninkovich and Trevor Scott have gotten the bulk of the reps at the left end spot to this point in camp.

Josh Barrett: The injury-prone safety started four games last season before landing on season-ending injured reserve after a Week 9 loss to the Giants, and with the acquisition of several safeties via free agency (Steve Gregory) and the draft (Tavon Wilson, Nate Ebner) to go along with the players who are still on the roster, it appears that Barrett faces a serious fight for playing time. While he’s had his moments (he came away with a nice pick in a deflected Ryan Mallett pass last week), he’s shown up more and more as of late on special teams. However, he could be in a fight there as well, as safeties like Ebner, Sergio Brown and James Ihedigbo (as well as part-time safety Matt Slater) are also all vying to be part of the special teams’ core.

Sergio Brown: Brown is another safety who slid down the depth chart last season, but has managed to hang on to a roster spot because he brings special teams’ value to the field. He became part of the special teams’ unit at the end of the 2011 season, and played serious snaps late in the year as part of coverage units. However, like Barrett, he’ll be in a fight for playing time because of the other safeties who also have special teams’ experience. For what it’s worth, he did pop up on the radar on Monday, drawing positive comments from Belichick.

Donte' Stallworth: Probably the most intriguing of all the players on the bubble, the 31-year-old is smart enough that he’s working as a kick returner -- something he hasn’t done on a regular basis since 2003 -- in hopes of increasing his value. With Brandon Lloyd missing two practices and Deion Branch seeing a lighter workload to this point in camp, Stallworth has made the most of his opportunities, including showing up in a positive fashion on several occasions on Thursday. Whether it’s enough to keep him on the roster is yet to be determined, but it’s clear that the veteran isn’t going to go down without a fight.

Ross Ventrone: Ah, Rusty Benson. The Patriots played catch-and-release with the likeable defensive back throughout last season, but he could be destined for the practice squad if the Patriots like any of the younger safeties, particularly when it comes to special teams. In his defense, the coaching staff loves him -- he was a multiple Practice Player of the Week award winner in 2011. He’ll have to show consistent special teams’ value if he wants to win a regular spot on the 53-man roster.

Spencer Larsen: While many players are on this list because they are involved in positional battles, Larsen is a different case. Frankly, if the Patriots do keep a fullback, it should be Larsen. However, the question remains: Will the team keep a fullback? If New England does keep three -- or even four -- tight ends with Rob Gronkowski, Aaron Hernandez, Daniel Fells and Visanthe Shiancoe, the chances of Larsen sticking around are probably slim. However, Larsen does have positional versatility in his favor, as he’s played both fullback and linebacker in the NFL. A couple of negatives: one, Larsen wasn’t on the field on Sunday or Monday. And two, the Patriots could ultimately decide to use Hernandez as a part-time fullback, as has been the case on occasion in camp.

Visanthe Shiancoe: It’s between Shiancoe and Fells for the third tight end spot, and while both have struggled to see the field this summer, Fells has the edge because he was here throughout the spring sessions and therefore has more experience in the system. Ultimately, as previously stated, Shiancoe’s future in New England could be tied to that of Larsen -- if they keep a fullback, chances are good they won’t go with the extra tight end.

Ron Brace: The defensive lineman, who is going into his fourth season, began training camp on time for the first time since his rookie year -- he failed his conditioning test in 2010 and started last year on the PUP list after offseason elbow surgery -- and managed to look impressive in limited reps behind other defensive linemen, including Kyle Love and Brandon Deaderick. However, the Boston College product left last Friday’s practice early, and hasn’t been in pads since. It’s the last season of a four-year contract Brace signed as a rookie.

Alfonzo Dennard: The rookie corner hasn’t seen a lot of reps because of an injury he suffered early in camp, never a good sign for any seventh-round pick, even for someone who wasn’t necessarily supposed to be a seventh-round selection. (Dennard likely slipped after an arrest less than a week before the draft.) With the first four corner spots going to Devin McCourty, Ras-I Dowling, Kyle Arrington and Sterling Moore -- and the Patriots likely to carry six cornerbacks, tops -- Dennard will have to battle other corners/special teamers like Marquice Cole and perhaps Will Allen for that final spot. While Cole and Allen have been competing on the field throughout camp, Dennard has been sidelined. Not a good sign. (It is worth mentioning that if the Patriots could get him through to the practice squad, that might be the ideal situation for him at this stage of his career.)

Marquice Cole: Like Dennard, Cole is a cornerback who will likely have to earn his bones as a special teamer. The 28-year-old does have extensive special teams experience in his three seasons with the Jets, which gives him a leg up on some of his competition. To this point in camp, his reps as a corner have come mostly with the second team, but will likely get extensive work in the second half of preseason games.

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